Top 10 Indian institutes: World university rankings 2025
India marks historic leap in THE Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2025
India has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking, with institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, IIT Bombay, and IIT Delhi securing top positions among leading global universities.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has once again retained its spot as India’s top-ranked university in the THE World University Rankings 2025.
India leads the way
Remarkably, India has become the most represented country in these rankings, with a record 65 universities making the list.
This reflects India’s growing strength in interdisciplinary research, which bridges fields like AI, biotechnology, sustainable energy, and quantum computing.
Top performers
IISc Bangalore continues to shine, maintaining its reputation for cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary breakthroughs.
IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi have also climbed the rankings, showcasing their global competitiveness in science and technology.
Overall, Indian universities made a strong mark in the Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2025.
However, the IISc has slipped out of the global top 250, now ranking in the 251-300 band, a step down from last year’s 201-250 position. IISc’s overall score this year fell to 53.7–55.7, compared to 55.9–58.6 in 2024.
Several other Indian universities, including Anna University and Mahatma Gandhi University, saw significant improvements, entering the 401-500 band.
India has dominated the 2025 rankings with 65 universities listed.
Meanwhile, IIT Indore and UPES Dehradun emerged as major gainers. Aligarh Muslim University maintained its position in the 601-800 band.
How THE ranks universities
The THE World University Rankings assess research-intensive institutions based on five key factors:
✔ Teaching (learning environment)
✔ Research environment (volume, funding, and reputation)
✔ Research quality (citations and influence)
✔ International outlook (global collaboration)
✔ Industry income (knowledge transfer and impact)
With 18 performance indicators, these rankings help gauge how universities stack up globally in areas like research output, faculty-to-student ratios, and international collaborations.
Indian universities on the rise
While IISc experienced a slight setback, other Indian institutions made impressive gains:
Anna University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, and Shoolini University leaped into the 401-500 band, improving their scores to 46.0–49.2. Just last year, they were in the 501-600 band.
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Amity University held steady in the 601-800 band, with AMU improving its score from 37.0–41.8 in 2024 to 38.2–43.2 in 2025.
Lovely Professional University stood at 99th place.
Amity University (Noida) – 101st.
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences – 102nd
Jamia Millia Islamia – 103rd
Jawaharlal Nehru University – 105th
Additionally, Sharda University, Panjab University, and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education also earned recognition for their interdisciplinary research and academic excellence.
Global Rankings: Who’s on Top?
United States maintained its dominance, with MIT and Stanford University securing the 1st and 2nd ranks, respectively.
Singapore was the only Asian country in the Top 10, with National University of Singapore (NUS) at 3rd and Nanyang Technological University at 9th.
Asia dominated the Top 100, with 47 universities from 15 countries. India and Saudi Arabia led the Asian charge, with six institutions each, followed by Hong Kong and Japan with five universities each.
Other notable mentions 🎓
University of Hong Kong – 13th
China’s Fudan University – 16th
Who slipped?
Not all Indian universities saw improvements: Jamia Millia Islamia dropped in rankings, settling in the 501-600 band, sharing space with IIT Indore and UPES Dehradun, which were among the year’s biggest gainers.
Banaras Hindu University, Bharathiar University, and IIT Guwahati were missing from the top 10 list in 2025, after ranking in the 601-800 band last year.
The road ahead
India’s overall presence in global rankings is strengthening, with more universities climbing up the ranks.
With India’s strong performance, its universities are proving to be global players in scientific innovation and interdisciplinary research, reinforcing the country's rising influence in academia.
As research, funding, and international collaborations increase, Indian institutions are gaining ground on the world stage — showing a promising trajectory for the country’s higher education sector.
Top 10
Here’s the Top 10 Indian universities as per THE World University Rankings 2025
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